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Monday, May 20, 2013

So, the Billboard Awards took place in Las Vegas last night. They were mainly memorable for the moment R&B crooner Miguel made the ill-advised decision to try a running jump over the audience.

OUCH.

Crotch/face collisions aside, Taylor Swift took home a entire wardrobe of awards, while One Direction got three. Madonna was named top touring artist, and Justin Bieber was booed, probably because his prize (the "Milestone award") was completely made up.

But the main event was Prince, who turned up in a space helmet made of hair to receive the Icon Award. He celebrated with a blues-rock version of Let’s Go Crazy, complete with bass solo from his new band 3rd Eye Girl.

There’s a school of thought that says Prince is at his best when he remembers he’s an incendiary guitar player. This would appear to be the proof.

(NB: If this video gets taken down, there’s a studio version of the swampy 2013 remake of Let’s Go Crazy over here).

At the other end of the scale was Taylor Swift’s highly-choreographed performance of 22. Starting backstage, climbing over tables and through clothes racks, the singer arrived on stage via the medium of a bicycle before a pyrotechnically-enhanced finale. It’s a little High School Musical but the production values are astonishing.